June 2012 Budget Challenge

[carebearhamm]

Loved the fish story! Tomorrow I plant the garden!

[lekate]

Rec'd 140$ Metro gift certificates from Air Miles! They aren't completely useless :D

[lovelikewinter3]

Here's my mid-month update!

Bills: paid as per rate
Groceries: 320.96/400$
Gas: 37.77/150$
Smokes: 29.62/60$
Eating out: 105.25/150$
Clothes/Household: 98.25/100$
Other: 4$ (library fee), 2$ donation @ Ribfest
Medical: 850$


Goals for this month:

-earn 40$ from non-regular work 19.25$ so far
-stay within grocery and eating out budget so far so good!
-try new meals at least once a week not so good with this one... maybe tonight!
-stretch the meat further, since it's so pricy been doing, no complaints just yet!
-finish the knitting/crocheting projects I've started not even close

Medical fees are for therapy for myself and my daughter, crap it's expensive! Just started a new program though which will cut the cost significantly in the future. Sucks but it's worth it in the end.

[Valiant]

Bought a few more needed essentials: yeast, lemon juice, cornmeal, potatoes (on sale), eggs, water, margarine (on sale), chicken legs (on sale). This brings my food tally up again, but that's ok. I want to have everything in place for the summer months, when I will earning nothing, and spending very little (from my Emergency Fund).

[carebearhamm]

Garden is still not in - it won't stop raining here, my poor plants!!!

[Valiant]

I understand, carebearhamm, it's raining here too, all weekend, and all this week. So, anything I have to do, must be done in the rain.

"Singing in the Rain"....."Gardening in the Rain"....if we can avoid making too many mud-clumps in the process.

[sweetproserpina]

Saved some money today- was going to do a 20x shop at SDM today, but it was so hot I ended up just coming home. Nothing needed was urgent, so it can wait til next month's 20x instead
Sometimes the easiest way to save money is to not go out and spend it

[Valiant]

Got tomatoes and bananas on sale, so got enough bananas to freeze a few.
Have been super-busy lately, but now have time to catch up again.
UPDATED MY COUPON TRADELIST TODAY, WITH MANY HIGH VALUE COUPONS.
Also making TO-DO lists for around-home priorities. Gotta catch up with the yard and garden work. Lotsa rain lately!

[secheltsaver]

I started beading as a new hobby. Expensive! Maybe I should get my bike fixed and go back to that....

Beading you say????What kind?Pm me if you like,or reply in the thread-I have lots of supplies,maybe we can work something out

[Valiant]

Added another update to my first post here. Got a great deal on strawberries: 4 @ $1 ea. per large plastic tub.
Mowed my lawns, and watered my garden. Having big probs with my lawnmower, so will probably have to repair or buy another 2nd-hand one.
Updating my tradelist again today.

[Valiant]

Here's a great video that shows how to filet and debone a Northern pike, otherwise known as a jackfish.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H3-GLr9bTXM

(skip the ad if it comes up first; and remember that you must leave about 2 inches of skin on the fish for identification purposes, which can be removed later; and all of the filets on 1 fish must be packed and frozen together.)

Other fish-cleaning, filet, deboning videos (perch, walleye) are shown at right of this youtube screen.

Catfish: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0CrV6...feature=relmfu

Perch: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8yh_j...eature=related

Walleye: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DyoK7...eature=related (super-quick, but rough language warning)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rlzrc...eature=related (long version)

[lovelikewinter3]

Here's my end-of-month update!

Bills: paid as per rate
Groceries: 420.20/400$
Gas: 77.85/150$
Smokes: 44.43/60$
Eating out: 294.86/150$ (family came into town, we bought their dinner @ Montana's. Totally justifiable )
Clothes/Household: 98.25/100$
Other: 4$ (library fee), 2$ donation @ Ribfest, 53.65$ oil change, 4.51$ grad card, 45$ coins for laundry
Medical: 910$


Goals for this month:

-earn 40$ from non-regular work 31.09$ so far
-stay within grocery and eating out budget not so great, but for eating out it was family related and we only see them 2-3x per year so ya know...
-try new meals at least once a week made mini-pizzas with naan bread, delicious!
-stretch the meat further, since it's so pricy been doing, no complaints just yet!
-finish the knitting/crocheting projects I've started Completed 2 of about 10, so that's something!

Medical fees are for therapy for myself and my daughter, crap it's expensive! Just started a new program though which will cut the cost significantly in the future. Sucks but it's worth it in the end. At least I should get some of it back...

[Valiant]

Can you believe that June is almost gone? How time flies when you're spending or not spending money.
Will post July's budget today.

[sweetproserpina]

Final tally and thoughts for this month:

Groceries: 324.33/400.00 (it's low because MIL came to visit and insisted on buying us some groceries
Seasonal Produce stock-up: 22$ (Strawberries- not enough! Blueberries and raspberries next)

Coupons Used: $$16.25!
SDM points: none
'Other' Money Found/Made: 2$ Timmy's card (from survey at EYC)
Misc expenses: 288.53 (bought a steam cleaner, and had to get a dress for brother's wedding)
Stockpile: Added 3 packs TP, and 5 BBQ sauce, 4 allens apple juice w/coupons

Goals:
Less grocery shopping, but continue to build stockpile- did shop less in general, but had more 'run out and buy butter/buns/milk etc.' trips
trade more coupons- went to first local coupon swap!
eat locally and from garden- put up produce for next winter - made scape pesto pasta one night, picking peas, spinach, chard, herbs..Made 2 batches strawberry freezer jam, put rest in freezer for jam at later date.

To Do List:
organize paperwork, get passport: nope
clean out freezer: done! Threw out two bags of old food- must be much more vigilant about rotating the stuff in the freezer!
create master canning list: mostly done.
pick strawberries and make jam and strawberry lemonade concentrate: done, done, not done yet.
make soft cheese/yogurt: not done. MIL brought me 4lbs of tillamook cheddar, so we've been eating that all month- delish! MIL also bought us some yogurt.. so did not have to practice my cheese making skills this month..

So, overall a pretty good month- my 'other' expenses were much higher than normal, but needed. I cleaned out my spice cupboard, fridge and freezer too, and want to continue organizing the house.

[Horndogg]

Here's my end-of-month update!


Goals for this month:

-earn 40$ from non-regular work 31.09$ so far
-stay within grocery and eating out budget not so great, but for eating out it was family related and we only see them 2-3x per year so ya know...
-try new meals at least once a week made mini-pizzas with naan bread, delicious!
-stretch the meat further, since it's so pricy been doing, no complaints just yet!
-finish the knitting/crocheting projects I've started Completed 2 of about 10, so that's something!

Medical fees are for therapy for myself and my daughter, crap it's expensive! Just started a new program though which will cut the cost significantly in the future. Sucks but it's worth it in the end. At least I should get some of it back...

how do you ear extra money?